Ephemeral Dreams
by ms0nobody
Summary: Wouldn't it have been cool if each origin had its own sequence in the fade instead of the scene with Duncan?  These shorts describe a more personalized version of the Warden's fade dream, customized for each origin.
1. Lyna Mahariel

**The Circle**

The Warden opened the door and was struck by the sight of the ugliest creature she had ever seen. It was an abomination, that was clear, with horrible pieces of metal stuck through its scarred and skinless face. The face was so scarred that instead of a mouth, the abomination had a flap of purple gnarled skin. When it spoke, she wondered where the sound could come from, and the skin stretched and writhed at every word. "Aren't you tired of all the violence in this world? Wouldn't you like to just lay down and forget about all this? Leave it all behind." The Warden's vision narrowed as she tried to focus on the face of the abomination. She thought that maybe it's ugliness would keep her awake because it was certainly ugly enough to peel the paint off a fence.

From behind her she heard an older woman's voice that she couldn't place "Resist! You must resist or else we are lost!" She wanted to retort that she was trying to resist, but she didn't have the energy. The demon's wispy green spell swirled around her, and her eyelids felt heavy.

"You deserve more. You deserve a rest." The demon continued as The Warden lost all consciousness.

**Lyna Mahariel**

Lyna felt a lump on her temple as she pulled herself out of the dirt and squeezed the stars out of her eyes. The tree branch she had ran into was looming menacingly over her head. "Run!" she heard someone shout after she had gotten to her feet, and it was a moment before she realized that it was her own voice she heard over the pounding of her footsteps on the packed dirt. An arrow whizzed past her ear and stuck into the bark of a tree as she ran past. _Stupid shem,_ she thought. _A Dalish would have had that through my head, if they'd actually wanted to kill me._ She knew that the shems behind her wanted to kill her, that they were chasing her as if she'd murdered their children in their sleep.

Ahead, she saw a cliff face and she knew that they'd be safe soon. _They? Who is with me? Who was I shouting to? _But she didn't really have time to puzzle out the blanks in her memory. As she ducked through the brush, she heard the shems shout to each other as they tried to deduce her location. She smiled to herself as she realized that the shemlens had lost sight of her. _They won't find me now because stupid shems are hopeless in the forest._ She walked through the trees, each step slow and deliberate, as she carefully left no tracks and made no noise.

When she arrived at the face of the cliff, the sounds of chirping birds were much louder than the shems tromping through the forest. She studied the markings on the cliff and she saw what she had hoped to find: a reddish brown stain, which looked like nothing more than an unusual color of stone, but actually marked a cave that the Dalish sometimes stayed in as they traveled to the Brecilian Forest to visit another clan of Dalish that lived there. She carefully navigated the rocks, and the sun was setting by the time she pulled back the loam from the entrance to the cave. Once inside she pulled the enchanted globe from the pouch on her waist and illuminated it, casting the entrance to the cave in a magical glow. She had never been more glad for this glowstone which was given to her by the keeper as a gift on the day that she came of age.

Farther back in the cave she heard a rock drop. Something was in the cave with her, and with a wave of her hand, she stopped the stone's light. Without the comforting blue light, the cave seemed darker than before she had turned the light on. The other in the cave couldn't be a shemlen. She was certain of that much. Any shem who could have made it here ahead of her would have made a lot more noise. They were hopeless in the forest. This left two options. It was either an elf or a beast. She replaced the glowstone into her pouch and launched an arrow towards the darkness.

"Lyna?" A hushed voice whispered urgently.

_Who is here with me and how does he know my name?_ "Who is it?"

"Praise the Creators! You know, you almost hit me with that arrow."

She lit the glowstone again, and it was overly bright in the darkness of the cave, so she could not see who it was beyond a sandy-blonde blur. From his voice, she would have guessed he was about her age. He gasped when he noticed the cut on her face, and she dimmed the glowstone so she could see him as well as he could see her.

"I saw you fall. I didn't know it was that bad." He rushed to her side and pulled his canteen off his belt and a cloth from his pouch. "Sit down. Let me clean it." She sunk down to the rock grateful for the rest. With all her adrenaline, she did not realize how tired she was.

Her eyes closed as he cleaned the cut. His hands were rough and strong, so she was surprised by his gentleness. "Thank you," she murmured just on the edge of sleep. "I've forgotten your name. I'm sorry."

"Lyna, you need to stay awake in case you have a concussion. I think you must have one if you've forgotten who I am. I'm Tamlen, and I'm your husband."

The cave got colder as the night wore on, but they didn't dare to start a fire in case the shems used the smoke to track them. Tamlen kept Lyna warm under a blanket and told her stories about their marriage, and about the current state of the clan. His voice carried a hint of sadness that she did not remember these important moments of their lives, but with the warmth of his arms around her and the rumble of his voice in the dark, she almost could remember. As the pale light of dawn filtered into the cave, they fell asleep in each others arms.

* * *

><p>"Wake up, Lyna!" Tamlen insisted and she woke instantly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep and to let you fall asleep."<p>

"I needed it. And I feel much better now."

"Are your memories coming back?"

"Oh, yes," she lied. "I'm almost completely better. We should get out of here before the shems track us."

"Shems track us?" he laughed. "Those fools couldn't find their asses with a map and a glowstone. Besides, from here we are much safer. If they come close we can shoot them from the watch spot in the upper part of the cave."

_That's right. There's a perch up in the cave from which the whole valley can be seen._ "I remember that spot! We should get going. I'm anxious to see if there are still shems looking for us in the forest."

"Do you know why they are hunting us?" Lyna asked Tamlen as they climbed the rock face at the back of the cave which led to the upper cave. It was knobbly with plenty of handholds, so the climb was not too strenuous.

"There is a creature attacking children in the area villages. This creature started by attacking farm animals. The farmers would go to sleep at night and they would awaken to find oxen carcasses dotting their fields. Whatever beast is attacking leaves nothing but blood, gristle and bones. Recently this beast has been attacking children and it's even happening during daytime. That's why we were out in the forest; we were trying to find out what was causing the attacks before the shemlen blamed us. Apparently it was too late because they ambushed us before we could find out what was happening. You don't remember this?"

He caught her lie. Her memory still hadn't returned, and Tamlen knew it. "I guess I do remember, now that you say it," she lied again and his mouth curled into a brief frown before he gripped the edge of the rock face and hauled himself over the ledge.

Once they got to the mouth of the upper cave, Lyna looked at the valley below. The greens and browns mixed with the golden red of sunset, and the sight was hardly marred by the smoke far away that she knew must be a group of shems looking for Dalish. She hoped the creature would find these hatful shems who decided to attack people who were trying to help rather than take a few minutes to talk and try to understand. _Shems are all alike._

"Do you want something to drink?" Tamlen asked, and as he reached for his canteen, she could hear the dregs of his water sloshing.

"No, I'm fine. You don't have much left."

"That's okay. There's water a little farther back in one of the side passages. It drips down into a pool. With the light of a glowstone, it's really quite beautiful. Not as beautiful as you, of course."

"Yeah, I'm sure I'm lovely with a big gash on my face."

"You are." he said with a smile.

"If we go now, we'll miss the sunset."

"We've got many more sunsets. And you need water."

* * *

><p>The side passage was dark compared to the brilliant light of sunset. The terrain was much rougher than the main passage, and even with the glowstone, they stumbled on rough stones that stabbed dangerously at any foot that was careless enough to tread on them. As they walked along the stones took on a silvery color, and the reflection of the glowstone off these rocks illuminated the cavern in an ethereal light. The small passageway opened into large room with a stream that trickled off the stones, making the surfaces in the cave smooth. In the center of the cave, a large pool filled with the trickling water before it flowed into the depths of the cave carving out stones for future Dalish to use as a hideout.<p>

Lyna set the glowstone on a ledge next to the pool. Tamlen leaned over the surface of the water, admiring his reflection. He reached out and tapped the surface of the water sending concentric circles of ripples outward towards the edge of the pond. She had seen this before, seen him admiring his reflection as he looked somewhere beyond.

"Stop!" She yelled. "It's dangerous."

"It's not dangerous. The water is safe to drink." He cupped some in his hands and sipped from it. "It's cool and fresh. Maybe you should sit down. I should have brought the water to you. You are to sick for this exertion. I'm sorry."

"Tamlen, we've been here before."

"Of course we have. When we were children we visited this cave as a respite on our way to the meeting of the clans. I told you that yesterday, remember?"

"That's not what I meant. I mean we've been somewhere like this before, but not here. Tamlen, we were in a cave and there was a mirror. You disappeared and I woke up and you were gone." His face was screwed up in confusion, but she could see behind it-see through the demon's illusion. "You're still gone. I couldn't save you, Tamlen. We couldn't find you. Merill and Fenarel and I tried. We searched the cave but it was hopeless. Duncan told me that I couldn't stay or I would die the same as you. So I'm a Gray Warden now."

"A Gray Warden?" He laughed a deep throaty laugh, but she knew it was a lie. This was part of the trick.

"Where am I? Who are you? Because you aren't Tamlen. He is gone. I may have loved him, but he is gone."

"Please, don't say that," he said, but his voice had changed, his sweet throaty melodies replaced by a sinister, snake-like urging. She backed away from him and stumbled into a pile of stones, and he leapt over to her and wrapped his fingers around her neck. Lyna struggled, trying to pull his fingers off her throat. "You should have stayed quiet, you filthy elf. Why couldn't you just believe me? It was weak of you to try to remember. Most of the Gray Wardens are dead and you will soon follow." As he said these words his form changed, growing taller and more flexible until his hands looked like living magma. His fingers seared the flesh of her neck, and as the last speck of cool grey blue faded from the rage demon version of Tamlen's eyes, she pulled the dagger off her belt and sunk it into the rage demon's heart. He hissed like a teapot on a stove, but he pulled away from her throat and prepared to bash her across the face. She slid out from underneath him and backed away, and as the demon made a move to strike her again, she readied her bow and shot an arrow into its heart.

The demon melted into lava and sunk into the ground. She realized that the cave had been replaced by a squishy landscape in muted greens and browns. The fade.


	2. Elissa Cousland

**Elissa Cousland**

"Wake up, little sis. It's the moment you've been waiting for." Elissa Cousland opened her eyes and sat up in bed. The sheets felt delicious, freshly laundered and smelled like wildflowers. Home! This is what home smelled like.

"Fergus! You're here!" She laughed and gave her brother a hug.

"Of course I'm here. I'd never miss your special day. What brought that on?"

"I don't know. It seems like it's been forever since I've seen you." Even though her statement seemed true, she realized that Fergus didn't look any different. The easy smile on his face made her smile. It was delightful to be a Cousland.

"Well now that you are awake, you should get up. There's a lot for you to do."

"Fergus, you're going to think I'm crazy, but I can't remember what today is."

"Wow, you must have slept hard. Today is mum and dad's retirement and your coronation. Today you become the Teyrna of Highever."

"Oh right." Elissa's mind was blank, but she pretended to remember and her imagination filled in the blanks. "Well, the Teyrna of Highever can't lounge in bed all day. What's my first appointment?"

"That's the spirit!" Fergus exclaimed. "Today is mostly going to be a celebration. We've got your coronation this afternoon, followed by a banquet in your honor. Your real work doesn't start until tomorrow. Tomorrow mum and dad are leaving for vacation in Orlais, and you begin your rule."

"Remind me why I am become Teyrna instead of you."

"Because I'm a man. I can't be Teyrna."

"Very funny, Fergus. Really though?"

"Um, probably because I'm too nice."

"We both know that's a lie," she laughed and fondly punched her older brother in the arm.

He laughed but continued seriously. "I'll never be firm enough to do what needs to be done." _What needs to be done…_ These words echoed in Elissa's mind. _There's something. Something needs to be done._ Reality fractured for a moment and she saw dark grey stone and a pierced abomination. She put her hands to her face, rubbed her eyes. "Are you alright sister?" Fergus asked.

She nodded. "Let's start this day."

* * *

><p>Elissa Cousland, Teyrna of Highever, was the first woman to take that role unmarried. Her mother had tried to get her to marry for years, but Elissa never found the right man, a balance of strength-of character as well as physically-and kindness. Elissa was too strong to tolerate a man who was not as strong, as kind and as good as she herself was, so eventually her father decided that married or not, she was ready for the duties for which she had been born. Her accession to the title of Teyrna would be the social event of the season. Nobles were journeying from all over the Bannorn, and Loghain Mac Tir, the Teyrn of Gwaren, was coming all the way from the far coast of Ferelden. Even King Cailan and Queen Anora were coming from Denerim to meet the new power player in Ferelden politics. Fergus told her all of the as they went from place to place in the castle making sure everything was ready for the ceremony.<p>

It was strange to Elissa how right the castle felt. She had spent her entire life in this place; of course it should feel natural to be there. And yet she felt unexplainable delight about all the little things she experienced during the moments leading up to her celebration. She hugged Nan in the kitchen with tears in her eyes, which confused the old nanny but caused her to momentarily lose her well-worn scowl. She twirled circles in the library, singing and laughing until she fell on the floor exhausted. Out in the courtyard, she trailed her fingertips over the targets where she learned archery and chatted with Ser Gilmore about the new recruits.

As she put on the fine Cousland plate, commissioned specifically for this day, her father entered her room. "Hello, pup," he said, and she smiled at his old nickname for her.

"I'm not a pup any longer, father."

"You'll always be my pup even when you are leading armies and sentencing criminals."

"Dad!" Elissa laughed peals of laughter that she didn't know she had. _This is where I belong. This is where I should have been._ She didn't know why she thought this thoughts. Of course this was where she should be. She was a Cousland.

"I came in here to give you something more than well wishes," her father said and revealed a shield, the one stored in the family vault. "This is your shield now. May it protect you always from the harm that I cannot. The sword will be yours too, although I need it for one last task, to confer my power to you. You are going to make a fabulous Teyrna. You are in all ways my superior, and I'm glad this day has finally come." Bryce Cousland's eyes filled with tears and he gave Elissa a hug which was made rather awkward by the fact that they were both in heavy armor. They laughed at the clumsiness of the embrace. "Are you ready?" her father asked.

"Lead the way." Elissa replied.

* * *

><p>The Great Hall of Highever Keep was filled with everyone Elissa had ever known. Kitchen elves peeked in through the doorways, and all of the nobles beamed at her. Her mother and father stood side by side on the dais. As she crossed the room, her heavy armor and shield felt strangely light. After this ceremony, everything would be right. She reached her father's side and his clear voice rang throughout the packed hall. "Kneel Elissa Cousland. You have shown your strength and willingness to do what's right: to do your duty to the Kingdom of Ferelden and the people of Highever. It is with great pride that I ask you to take up the banner of your ancestors and place the Teyrnir of Highever in your capable hands." As he spoke these words, he tapped her shoulders with his sword. "Rise Teyrna Elissa Cousland and take the blade that was made for you."<p>

The crowd rose up in cheers, and Elissa stood, hardly holding back her tears of joy. She accepted the blade from her father and took a bow as the crowd broke out into cheers. As the crowd began to mingle, the first person to congratulate her was a man in shiny golden armor. He looked familiar although she couldn't say where she'd met him before.

"King Cailen?" she asked and his jubilant, wide-eyed smile told her she was right.

"It's glorious to finally meet you. I can't wait to work with you in the Landsmeet." The young king smiled and as he did, Elissa was reminded of another face with somewhat sadder eyes, but a smile just as bright.

"King Cailan, are you certain we've never met before?"

"I believe I would remember a face so lovely," he flirted. _Ah, so that's the way he is_, Elissa thought. _I feel desperately sorry for his queen._

"You flatter me, your Majesty." she replied not wanting to anger this powerful man so soon with the snotty comeback that was hiding just under her tongue.

"There's no need for the 'your Majesty.' Please call me, Cailan." He looked relaxed in his heavy golden armor, and she couldn't help smiling.

"All right, Cailan. I should probably mingle some more."

"I understand," he replied. "But we'll have to talk again before I return to Denerim." As he walked away, he winked at her. _That man is seriously flirting with me_, Elissa laughed to herself.

She moved down the line of nobles, chatting briefly with Bann Teagan of Rainesfere before a man with faded gray hair approached her. A sneer briefly flashed across his face before he suppressed it with a wide smile. Elissa was suddenly overwhelmed with a desire to wrap her hands around his throat and she didn't know why she should feel that way. She had known him since childhood and he had always been a friend to her father. "Arl Howe, it was good of you to come."

"Of course, I came. It is but a short journey from Amaranthine to Highever, and I wanted to wish your father a happy retirement." Reflected in his eyes, she saw her father's body, blood pooled around him, life slipping from his eyes. Howe smiled a cruel smile. A cruel smile was all he had to give. In a flash she remembered Howe's crimes. She remembered the tearful goodbye she made to her mother before leaving with Duncan out the secret exit and remembered her father's sacrifice.

"You will not keep my life," she said through gritted teeth.

"I don't understand, Teyrna." Howe said, confusion crossing his snake-like eyes.

"I remember you. Remember what you did. You killed my father, my mother, my little nephew Oren. Did you think that I'd forget these crimes?"

"Your family is here. Everything is fine." He pointed towards her father who was telling Oriana Cousland a joke.

"Everything is not fine. This is an illusion. I will not forget what you've done. I will remember until my last breath or yours." She plunged the sword she had just received, the symbol of Highever and the Cousland family name, deep into Howe's chest, his drakeskin armor giving little resistance to her powerful thrust. The gasp of shock and horror that she expected from the crowd did not come. Blood pooled out from the wound and the unreality of the Fade seeped into her dream. The throne room vanished, replaced by a greenish brown skyline of unreal platforms. The only entity that came with her to this new reality was Howe's corpse, her sword poking comically from his chest. She knelt beside him, pulled out her sword, and his body jerked in one last spasm of ghostly life.

From behind her a cool female voice said, "Now why did you do that?" Elissa spun to see a horned purple woman with hoofed feet floating over the unreal surface that looked unlike any other ground she'd ever seen.

"Because I wanted to." Elissa retorted hotly.

"Yes," the demon hissed. "You want much. I can give you much, can give you everything you desire."

"I only wish to be free of you and of this place so I can do my duty, take my revenge and take back what is mine."

"You have what is yours here. You are the Teyrna as you should have been. Your family is here. You will not find them in your world. Why struggle? Why go through all the torment and pain only to fail?"

"I won't fail. I would only fail if I stayed here and lived this lie for my own happiness. Free me now or I will make you regret it." She raised her blade to the Demon's face in challenge.

"So willful you are child. Very well." The Desire Demon enchanted the air with a swirl of purple mist and Elissa felt weakness hit her stomach like a punch. It almost winded her, but she managed to keep her feet and slash with her sword. She stabbed at the demon, but its spirit tendrils blocked her blade making the demon giggle with glee. Desire summoned a semi-circle of shades, and Elissa ripped them to shreds that vanished as they sunk into the ground that they sprung from. She returned to attacking the demon who was weakened from the exertion of casting shades. Elissa's sword broke through the demon's protective barrier; the blade sunk into lilac colored flesh and the demon hissed, slapping Elissa in the face with her talon-like fingers. With one swing of the blade, Elissa chopped off the demons head, and for a moment, it shrieked a shrill scream before sinking into dust.

She was free from one puzzle but trapped in a larger and more complex puzzle. _Well, killing the demon didn't get me out of here. Let's find out what will._


	3. Sereda Aeducan

**Sereda Aeducan**

"Wake up, my queen," a voice purred beside her.

"Gorim, is that you?" she asked, afraid that if she opened her eyes he would be gone.

"Of course, my love." He said, and she dared to open her eyes.

"What are you doing here? Did we sleep too late?" She asked as she hurriedly got dressed.

"You aren't making any sense Sereda. You are the queen, you can sleep as late as you want to."

"The queen? So that means that Bhelen…"

"Bhelen!" he spat. "That toad will get what is coming to him. In fact, we've had a few members of the warrior caste working on again him in the dungeons. Don't worry. You have no need to trouble yourself with that cur again. Now I have to address the assembly, but I will join you again after lunch. Can you find something to occupy yourself until then?"

"I'm sure I will think of something." She immediately dressed in the armor hanging next to her bed. It fit perfectly, like it was made for her. It probably was.

* * *

><p>Sereda looked at the blood-soaked blonde hair and she could hardly believe that Bhelen sat before her, arms above his head, bound to the wall by rusty chains. His once proudly braided beard was matted with filth and blood and spit, and the friendly light had gone out of his eyes. A guard was heating a pair of large metal tongs over a fire pit and didn't notice Sereda's entrance.<p>

"Bhelen," she gasped, but did not move closer to him.

At the sound of her voice, the torturer set down his tools and turned to her. "Your Highness, you should not be down here. We will take care of him for you."

"And what if I wanted to take care of him myself?"

"Naturally, we would let you."

"Then leave me."

He looked at her dubiously, but left the room, gathering the remaining guards. "We will be outside if you need us." They filed out of the room in an orderly manner, the chains that were the objects of their trade clanking and scraping on the stone floor.

"Bhelen. Can you hear me?" His eyes fluttered as if they were looking for the source of the sound, but his head didn't even move; it drooped between his raised arms. Sereda knelt next to him so she would be in his line of sight.

"Sister," he whispered hoarsely through dry lips. "You can't be here. Madness."

"I'm here Bhelen. For real. And I need to know some things. Why did you do it? Why did you kill Trian?" His eyes rolled back in his head and he forced back vomit that rose to his throat. She slapped him on the full of his cheek to bring him back to this moment. With a raised voice she said, "Bhelen, I need you here with me right now. Why did you kill Trian?"

Bhelen blinked to steady himself from her slap. "What does it matter? He's dead and I will pay the price."

"Bhelen, I need to know. Please, I need to understand," she pleaded.

"Can I have a drink of water?" he asked, and she pulled the canteen off her belt and poured water into his open mouth. He sighed a sigh of delight so deep and pure she would have thought that he had just obtained a moment of pure glory on the battlefield.

"Thank you sister. I always knew you were the kind one."

"My question still stands."

Behlen's eyes looked through her as if he was focused on something far away-through the veil and beyond. His eyes focused beyond the stone to centuries of ancestors who fought and struggled against the darkspawn and against their own natures. "What would have happened to Orzammar had he lived? He was a beast, a monster who thought nothing of the plight of casteless," Bhelen growled. "I'm glad I killed him."

"You don't care about the casteless. You care about how much power you can amass. And it turns out that you can amass none now that you are a puddle that will die screaming in my dungeon. Justice will be dealt. But I want to know one thing more before I give you your release. Why did you frame me?" Bhelen shut his lips tightly. His eyes filled with silent fury that burned brightly for a moment before it dissipated-fizzling into the stone.

She backhanded Bhelen's jaw and coated her gauntlet with blood and spital. The force knocked him cold.

"Goodbye, little brother," she said, and on the way out of the dungeon, she nodded to the guards in the hallway so they could resume their work. They were the bringers of pain as much as Bhelen brought her pain; while her father and Trian would never have justice at least she could experience a taste of revenge.

Returning to her quarters, pulled off her bloody gauntlets and placed them on the vanity. The looking glass betrayed her afternoon's pursuits and she hurried to wash the blood spatter from her cheeks before Gorim inevitably finished his business with the assembly.

* * *

><p>Sereda was having a splendid afternoon. Endela, a working class dwarf with tender hands, gave her a vigorous and relaxing massage. Next she enjoyed a banquet of roast nug stuffed with mushrooms and cranberries. Members of the merchants guild petitioned her for the right to craft fine jewelry and luxurious silk gowns that they would give her just for the privilege of saying they crafted works for her. All of the fawning and bowing and looking regal. She had never been more miserable.<p>

That night, Sereda and Gorim laid down in bed. Servants pulled the covers tight over their chins before refilling glasses of water on their bedside tables. "Gorim, this feels strange, like it's not really my place. Don't get me wrong, I love to lead. But I've always been one to lead on the battlefield-to command respect with my blade and to be a leader of those with strength. I always expected Trian to rule and after his death, I thought the family rule would pass to Bhelen and his children if Trian didn't have any."

"People respect you and adore you. You are a perfect ruler without needing to compare yourself to Bhelen the Snake. Besides, as the Queen of Orzammar you will lead us into battle as much as you would have as a general."

"I suppose you're right." She sighed into her pillow and settled in, feeling the softness of the down pillows as she let her body relax into the bedding. Her head felt heavy, and she fell almost instantly into a deep sleep. She dreamed she was staring into blackness flecked with glittering diamonds of light. They hovered just beyond the reach of her fingertips, not dancing or moving, just sparkling. She tried to pluck one from its fixture in the darkness, but each attempt made the light seem farther away.

A loud crash woke her with a start. "Gorim, I just had a dream," she said.

"A what?" he said as he sleepily shook his head.

"A dream. I think it was of a clear sky at night on the surface. There were stars more beautiful than our purest gemstones. It was…quite powerful." The noise in the corridors increased. Servants clanged metal and the hall lanterns were lit causing light to spill in from the open doorway.

"Dwarves don't dream," he mumbled with his eyes on the commotion in the corridor. "I'm going to see what's happening out there." He rose from bed and securely tied the cord on his dressing gown in a square knot. Sereda wiped her sleep blurred eyes and followed him into the hall but he had already disappeared into the commotion on the other side of the threshold.

Servants were running everywhere, some half dressed, pulling on boots or shirts. Sereda could hear a baby crying but she could not see it nor see any mother seeking to soothe the frightened babe. A vase crashed to the floor, shattered shards glinting in the lantern light. _I'm going to need boots_, she thought. Gorim returned as she was putting on the leggings that went underneath her armor.

"You're getting equipped? Did you hear?" he asked.

"I felt exposed without my armor. Hear what?"

"Darkspawn are assaulting Orzammar."

When Sereda reached the Diamond Quarter exit, it was already being barricaded. Sereda and Gorim slipped through and were the last of the noble cast to do so. The pandemonium in the Merchant Quarter was staggering. Dwarves were everywhere packing up their shops, barking out orders to the other members of their house who were trying to help pack away everything of value. Casteless had poured up from Dust Town to loot whatever weapons or valuables were left unattended. A merchant kicked a casteless girl in the head as she tried to tug a heavy mace out of a crate. Nugs scampered underfoot looking for a safe place to weather the pandemonium.

"Where is the breach?" she shouted to Gorim over the din of the crowd.

"The Deep Roads entrance!" He gestured with his sword to the staircase next to them where warriors young and old were assembling. An unhuman scream ripped up from the distance, and Sereda didn't know whether the unholy sound was a death scream or a darkspawn taunt. The air ahead grew foul and thick with decay, but she pressed forward and did not notice as she left Gorim behind.

As she approached the front lines, she could hardly hear the screams and clash of metal upon metal over the pounding of the blood in her ears. When she reached her first genlock, she bashed it in the face with her shield and had run it through with her sword before it flopped to the ground. She swirled to meet genlock after genlock and felled countless hurlocks even though they were twice her size. Darkspawn blood rained from the stone above, flecking her armor. Each enemy that she killed brought her farther into the Deep Roads and with each stab she left Orzammar behind. It was a dance, one where each step became more familiar than the last and each lifeless hurlock left in her wake was a fallen partner in a gruesome ballet. _This is where I belong_, she thought, and as she severed the head of a particularly ugly hurlock she remembered pierce abomination surrounded by grey stone so different than the warm browns of the dwarven homeland. _I am a Grey Warden. _

"This is a lie!" she shouted to the stone above. "Come, Abomination, and face me in combat, if you dare." The dwarves and darkspawn locked in combat vanished in a curtain that looked like steam escaping from a boiling pot, and Orzammar disappeared in the distance, replaced by sickly greens of islands that looked like they were made of moss and rotten logs.

A shade rose from the ground but did not attack. Instead it turned to look at her as she positioned her blade to strike should the shade grow hostile. "Where am I?" She demanded.

"The fade," the shade answered slowly and curiously.

"But I am a dwarf? How did I get here?"

A throaty chuckle escaped from the shade's head region. "Why does it matter how you are here? Don't you want to stay? It was nice to return to Orzammar, was it not? And this Orzammar is not the broken, pitiful Orzammar of your world. This is an Orzammar where everything is right, and is shaped by your considerable will. You could be happy here. I can keep you safe."

Her eyes narrowed and the muscles of her arm tensed as she raised her blade. "You will want to release me or I will make you."

"Try," said the shade simply. It was nimble as if it didn't have a spine as it gyrated its body out of the reach of her sword. Each time she struck the shade, her blade bounced back, as if repelled by invisible magics, but with each strike the shade weakened. She could feel the color of the fade brightening and the ground beneath her feet felt more real, more certain. She bashed the shade in the face with her shield, and it crumpled into the ground and disappeared.

Now she was alone on the flat green island hovering in the ether. She walked to the edge and looked below and the island was moored in a swirling fog, so unlike anything she had experienced in Thedas. _I guess dwarves aren't missing out on much without dreams of this place_.

She found a stone pedestal engraved with runes similar to those used in enchanting. _This is magic!_ she thought and pressed the only lit stone. She melted into the ground and instantaneously pushed through the creepy brown-green earth. It felt almost like being birthed. _I hope I don't have to do that again._ Once again, she was standing in front of a pedestal, but this one had a different lit stone and this one had a brown haired mage standing next to it.

Her curiosity about the fade outweighed her wariness of strange fade creatures, so she told the mage of her experiences. He explained that the shade was a demon of sloth, similar to the one that she encountered in the circle tower, the one that sent them both to the fade.


End file.
